MOM’S MEMOIRS – IRENE LOUISE (NEE KUCKKAN) MUELLER
(Continued)

Mom’s Autobiography – Chapter 85 – In Book, Page 205

Fourth of July Parade, Freistadt, Wisconsin, Dinner at Marley’s Lake Delton, Wisconsin, Antique Road Show, Madison, Wisconsin, Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Worship Service for Tim – July 12, 2009, ROC Rummage Sale, Engagement of Brian Weiland and Jessica Blume, Bill Laesch Comes to Visit, WELS Retired Workers’ Reunion, Veolia Signs Contract with Petrobras

THE FREISTADT, WISCONSIN, 4TH OF JULY, 2009, PARADE

We were invited by Dave Chmielewski’s mother, Janice.(Suelflow), to come to Freistadt to watch the 4th of July parade. Trinity Lutheran Church, Freistadt, is where I taught first grade, and Janice and her twin sister, Joyce, were my students. Dick was attending the Seminary in Thiensville (Mequon) at that time. Freistadt is very small, so Janice, her husband, Ken, Debbie, Glen, Glen’s mother, Elaine, Nicki, Dave, Cassie, Caleb, and we sat in front of the old Suelflow family home with the church and school grounds across the street, and watched the parade. It was a great parade – with a male German dressed band playing polkas on a flatbed truck, beautifully German costumed women with a sign which said, “Pommersche Tanzdeel (whatever that means), veterans (one man Janice pointed out to us was Billy Prahl. We had lived in a second home on the farm of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Prahl while Dick was attending the Seminary. Billy and his sister, Lorna, were children then). There were also old and new fire engines and cars, mothers pulling decorated wagons with their little children in them, horses with cowboys, etc.

After the parade, people drifted over to the school and church grounds where many things were sold, including plants, which Debbie and Nicki stocked up on. There were antiques in a barn, and many other interesting things to see. The German costumed men and women danced under the trees to Polka music, and many people sat on benches and chairs watching them and listening to them. All of us had a great time.

Little did we know then that God would send His holy angels to carry Janice to her home in heaven on April 21, 2010. God’s will be done!

JULY 5, 2009 – MARLEY’S, LAKE DELTON, WISCONSIN

Tim, Sue, Jenny, Kevin, Joshua, Jonah, Conner, Timmy, Megan, Julie, Tom, Matt, Holly, Joanne and Jerry Brandt, and we went to Marley’s to have a delicious meal served to us by Matt, who was a waiter there. We had a wonderful time. There were balloons and cute hats doled out.

JULY 11, 2009 – ANTIQUE ROAD SHOW, MADISON, WISCONSIN

Dick and I love to watch the Antique Road Show on TV, so Sue, Tim, Dick and I got tickets to go to the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wi., with some of our “treasures” – HA! We were directed to join a line of people. Some were holding the items they wanted to have appraised, and others were shuffling along pushing bigger items. We finally got to a table where they categorized our things, and then entered a big room where we were directed to the tables where the appraisers sat. One appraiser appraised Dick’s metal “Red Buddy Scarab” car (which he had when he was a boy) at $300. We had malachite jewelry which we had bought in Africa, but they didn’t even appraise that. I guess malachite is not a precious stone. We also brought a set of ivory napkin holders (which are decorated with carved elephants) which was appraised at $150. I had bought the napkin holder set at an Indian (India) store in Lusaka, Zambia. Ivory crocodiles and an ivory ball (with balls carved inside) with an ivory stand were not appraised. But, we had brought a big KAROSS (African wild animal skins sewn together) which was appraised at $1,000-$1,500. Two African paintings by Laban Nyrenda (an African painter who Dick had confirmed) were appraised at $25 each. Dick did manage to get his ticket autographed by Noel Barrett (a man appraiser with a pony tail). We didn’t get to show any of our items on TV with Host Mark L. Walberg, but at least we can say we were at one of the Antique Road Shows.

JULY 12, 2009 – 25TH ANNIVERSARY SERVICE FOR TIM

St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church had a service of worship and praise, thanking God for 25 years of public ministry, for Pastor Timothy Mueller. Pastor James Weiland (our Susie’s husband who is pastor of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, Merrill, Wisconsin) was invited to preach the sermon. The sermon was based on 1 Corinthians 3:5-11, and the theme was “A 25th Anniversary Year Calls Attention To Grace”. The parts were: 1. God’s grace to you. 2. God’s grace through you. 3. God’s grace for you. Tim’s father, Pastor Richard Mueller, had a wonderful moving prayer.

After the service all of us walked over to St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran School’s parish hall where a surprise reception for Tim’s anniversary was planned. The food was great! There was a cake with the words, “Pastor Tim Mueller – Serving His Divine Call For 25 Years”. There were many people there – including pastors and their wives, Sue and Tim’s family, our family, and other relatives and friends. Tim was presented with a wonderful picture showing Jesus with children. There is a very nice picture of Sue and Tim’s family and our family members on the stairs at the school doorway in our album. I took a picture of Timmy’s girlfriend, Megan Paggi, and Holly Weiss, Matthew’s girlfriend, together at the bottom of the stairs. All of us spent a very nice afternoon at Sue and Tim’s home.

JULY 23 – 25, 2009 – ROC RUMMAGE SALE

Also, we attended the ROC Rummage Sale. We brought our donations which were sorted and put on tables by the many ready and willing volunteers. We thank God for moving the hearts of so many others who helped fill the tables of the huge gym with wonderful donations. There were some things there which caught our eyes which we took home with us. Again, the grand total of $10,000. was raised for the ROC. To God give all the glory!

JULY 25, 2009 – AN AFTERNOON (ENGAGEMENT) WITH NORTHLAND
BRIAN WEILAND AND JESSICA BLUME

Jessica thought that she was going with her best friend to a “Tastefully Simple Party” at Northland Lutheran High School, Schofield, Wisconsin (near Wausau). But, it turned out to be a surprise engagement party where Brian got down on one knee and asked Jessica to be his wife in front of their teachers, families, and friends. They first met at Northland which they attended. With the thread of God’s Word woven through all that Northland does, they were able to learn about Christian love and plan to carry that on into their future family.

JULY 30, 2009 – DICK’S COUSIN, BILL LAESCH COMES TO VISIT

Dick’s cousin “Billy” (son of Dick’s Uncle Bill and Aunt Violet Laesch) came to Watertown to visit us. We were happy to see him, and had a nice visit with him (he lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but has moved from there to Phoenix, Arizona, where his and Dick’s cousin, Pastor Norman Laesch, and his wife, Joyce, have also moved).

AUGUST 5, 2009 – WELS RETIRED CALLED WORKERS REUNION

The reunion was at Luther Prep here in Watertown, Wisconsin. It was great to get together with many pastors, teachers, and their wives and husbands who we know from the past and the present. Some of our friends are not with us anymore, but it was great to visit with some who we had not seen for many years. Some of the people who were there are: Pastor John Jeske and Eleonore – Pastor Myron Kell and Faith – Pastor Eugene Kitzerow and Renata (Pape). Renata was my roommate at Waldheim, Dr. Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minnesota. Pastor Joel Gerlach, the son of the people who owned Waldheim, and Lillian. Teacher William Birsching and Helen. Mr. Birsching is the retired organist at St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. He still helps out a lot. Pastor Bill Hein and Ruth – Pastor Paul Wilde and Cynthia (Runge). Cynthia was Dick’s classmate at Northwestern Prep and carried notes for us. Pastor Edward Stelter and Lavon. He followed Dick as pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Crivitz, Wisconsin, when Dick accepted the Call as missionary to Africa. Pastor Richard Lauersdorf and Charlene. Pastor Lauersdorf followed Dick’s father as pastor at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Jefferson, Wisconsin. There were so many other friends there with whom we crossed paths during our lives. All of their pictures are with the above mentioned in Album Number 81. We had a great meal and enjoyed visiting with all of them.

AUGUST 11, 2009 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – VEOLIA ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES SIGNS MARINE SERVICES CONTRACT WITH PETROBRAS

“League City, Texas – Veolia Environmental Services (VES) Marine Offshore Division is pleased to announce that it has signed a contract with Petrobras America, a subsidiary of Petrobras (NYSE, PBR/PBRA), to provide marine services in the Gulf of Mexico. The Viking Poseidon, one of VES’ Deepwater marine vessels, will be deployed for work on Petrobras’ Chinook/Cascade subsea development, one of the deepest Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facilities in the world. The vessel will support new field development for phase one of Petrobras FPSO”. For more information, please visit www.VeoliaES.com. or ask Steve. All of you probably know that our Steve works in the office for VEOLIA ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES NORTH AMERICA. He is the Senior Project Manager/Platform Specialist. He coordinates the computer equipment and operation of the various facilities of Veolia. Steve took us on a tour of the offices (including his) of Veolia where he works. All the other employees had gone home, but he had keys. He showed us a room kept very cool because there are “servers” in there which store all the information from the Veolia branches. It was very impressive. There was food left over from a picnic that day, so we were treated to a meal which we ate while sitting at the very long table in the conference room!!!!